PAASHAZEN EN ANDER FRAAIS

‘Her figures are extraordinary. She has modelled monkeys, hares, cats, birds, dogs, lizards, bulls and human figures. She concentrates on capturing the moment and specifically, the movement of an animal. Emma begins by drawing the creature she plans to make. Sketches are important as the image can be made slightly abstract which she says is a good place to start with a figure. Emma also films and photographs the animals. This way she can isolate a specific moment that can be transferred or developed when she creates a piece. Using these techniques allows her to observe the movement, character and energy that the creature exhibits. She also uses reference books to help determine the correct colours, bone structure and overall forms of the animals. Emma always attempts to concentrate on the strongest elements of a pose. A lot of her pieces show a distorted form and contorted shapes. The pieces are also not solid. She feels that the pieces that are left out help to give the viewer a better experience. They have to imagine those missing areas thus creating a more interactive engagement with the object. Emma is influenced by decaying materials – from animal skeletons and skulls, to deteriorated objects in museums. It is the pieces that are missing which she translates into her work.